3D printers have become a go-to for makers, spitting out everything from detailed miniatures to practical gadgets with machine-like precision, but a 3D printing pen? That’s a whole different animal, trading automation for raw, hands-on artistry. In a brilliantly quirky move, a creator known as [3D Sanago] has harnessed this tool to whip up a sock-snatching cleaning robot that’s as charming as it is clever.
A 3D printing pen is like wielding the hot, melty heart of a 3D printer’s nozzle, oozing plastic filament that hardens in a flash. Unlike its robotic kin, it demands steady hands and a bit of finesse to shape objects layer by layer. [3D Sanago] used it to sculpt the robot’s body, kicking off with a 15 x 15 centimeter square base—a process they likened to “mimicking a 3D printer’s precision but with human effort.” To polish it off, they smoothed the plastic with an iron, turning the rough edges into surprisingly slick surfaces that look way sharper than you’d expect from a handheld tool.
- [THE PERFECT GIFT] Create, Draw, Doodle, and Build in 3D with this affordable yet high grade 3D pen. The new SCRIB3D P1 3D Pen helps improve spatial...
- [READY-TO-USE KIT] Includes 3 colors (30 feet) of PLA plastic to keep you Doodling for ages, as well as a power adapter, step-by-step manual, and a...
- [BEGINNER FRIENDLY] Plug the adapter into the back of the pen and choose your filament. The red light will turn on indicating warm up, this will take...
The robot scoots around on four omniwheels—nifty wheels built to roll any which way—powered by four gear motors, giving it a nimble, almost twirling grace on the floor. An Arduino Uno, the trusty microcontroller behind countless DIY builds, runs the show, loved for its dirt-cheap price and dead-simple setup. Paired with a multi-channel motor driver board, it keeps each wheel in lockstep, letting the robot zip left, right, or pirouette on a dime.
To nab those rogue socks, [3D Sanago] slapped on a servo-driven arm—light, quick, and just right for the job. It’s a no-frills design but gets the work done, snagging small stuff like socks without needing a bulky vacuum setup, even if the project’s playfully called a “robot vacuum.”
You steer this bad boy with a PS4 controller hooked up through a wireless module, skipping fancy autonomous navigation that’d demand a pile of sensors and code. Instead, it’s all manual, with familiar joystick inputs letting you drive the robot and flex its arm like you’re playing a video game. The wireless module feeds your button-mashing straight to the Arduino, turning presses into wheel spins or arm grabs.
The 3D printing pen, often snagged for under $50, is a steal compared to even the cheapest 3D printers, which can run you hundreds. The Arduino Uno, motor driver boards, and servo are easy to grab, and while omniwheels are a bit niche, you can source them online or even 3D-print them. The wireless module and a PS4 controller—probably already kicking around your living room—keep the parts list wallet-friendly and newbie-accessible. By using a 3D pen, [3D Sanago] also dodged the need for CAD software or fiddly design files, making this project a welcoming entry point for anyone spooked by digital modeling.
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